News about the data breach at Target, and subsequent data breaches at other major retailers, are reminders that theft can occur at any time and any place, and information security experts say that it's also a good time for people to review how secure they keep their financial data.

Initially, Target said malicious software took payment card information at infected point-of-sale terminals at checkout counters, but later the retailer said information such as email addresses were also taken during the breach, separately from the payment information breach.

As the breach is investigated, consumers need to understand what it means and how to protect themselves, said Neil Chase, vice president of education at LifeLock, an identity theft-protection firm. And that doesn't mean moving to a cabin in the woods with no electricity or never shopping again, he said.

Stolen info

There are a lot of ways to have information stolen, he said, such as a credit card or debit card falling out of a wallet and into the wrong hands; someone physically stealing the card; or a person who goes through garbage looking for statements.

The Target breach also showed that shopping in person isn't necessarily safer than online or by phone, he said, as payment information goes through a number of hands, no matter what the shopping method.

Credit cards offer more protection. If a person's credit card or debit card has fraudulent activity, their liability is very low and may be zero, depending on the card. Federal law says credit card holders won't be responsible for more than $50 in charges, but many companies say they have a zero fraud guarantee, Chase said.

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Sometimes credit card or debit card companies will notify cardholders if they see unusual activity and cancel the card. If the person sees unusual activity on their card, he or she should call the issuing company right away and cancel the card themselves.

With a credit card, the issuing company usually cancels the charges and reissues the card, which is generally the end of the problem, Chase said. With debit cards, it's a slightly different story.

Chase said federal law says a person doesn't have to pay if there's fraud or abuse on a debit card as long as the cardholder quickly reports an unusual activity, so the onus is on the cardholder to act fast.

The Council of Better Business Bureaus said that because debit cards don't offer the same protection as credit cards, cardholders should vigilantly monitor their accounts, especially since debit card transactions take money straight from a bank account. Individuals who are concerned that their data was compromised may want to pre-emptively ask for new debit card or put a security block on the account.

Misused card

Chase agreed, adding: "If someone misuses your debit card ... and if they take out as much as you had for the rent or mortgage payment the day before the auto payment comes out, yes, the bank will fix it eventually. Meanwhile, your mortgage company or landlord is mad at you and you start running into the late payments."

Once a credit card or debit card is canceled, the next step is to monitor credit reports, said Chase and Tony Anscombe, senior security evangelist for AVG Technologies, an Internet security provider.

People can get a free report once a year from each of the credit reporting agencies -- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The credit reports will show whether new lines of credit or loans were opened.

Anscombe said customers affected by the Target breach can receive free identity-theft protection services, and he urged they take up Target on the offer. Identity theft protection looks beyond just credit reports and sees if a thief is building a new identity based on the person's data.